


Songs for the unforgotten

by Silverspot



Category: Ancient History RPF, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF, Greek and Roman Mythology, The Iliad - Homer
Genre: Gen, comes from my need to show love to women in history, i'm gonna add the characters every time i add a chapter, this is gonna be slowly updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:18:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverspot/pseuds/Silverspot
Summary: A collection of letters for women who left their sign on the pages of every history book.





	Songs for the unforgotten

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this collection, dear reader! As I said in the tags, this project was born out of my love for history, and more specifically, for women in history.  
> I hope you will enjoy.

to the girl whose face launched a thousand ships,

your song has been sung long before i was born, and will be sung long after i am gone. back in your days there was not a soul who didn’t know your name; today, nothing has changed. at some point, be it for an external imposition, be it for a thirst of knowledge, we all stumble upon your story. everyone knows what you’ve done, and many feel entitled to hold it against you. you, who are gone, and yet bound to history with an unbreakable bond, that is equal part bless and a curse.  
how hard is history when it comes to condemning someone. how blind is it to the courage of your gesture and how deaf is it to the sound of your heart breaking in the middle of a battlefield?  
everyone speaks about how you charmed your way into the Poet’s words — way back when they mattered the most — but no one ever bothers to wonder why. they refuse to see your reasons; a woman with such a comfortable position, daughter and sister to gods, and half a goddess herself. the prettiest there ever was. why would she run away? why would she embrace the uncertain, the forbidden, and give in to the promises of a foreigner?  
forgive them, child, for they do not know. they do not know what history does to women. they do not realize that a golden cage is, in fact, still a cage. and that you could never be tamed, only worshipped. they do not understand, or perhaps they don’t want to.  
know, however, that your song is changing, for it is us who are singing it. and we see.  
you were never just the girl whose face launched a thousand ships, you were a storm. a galaxy confined in skin.  
and darling, cities may fall, but you never will.

sincerely,  
c.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a brief letter to one who is, in my opinion, one of the strongest heroines ever portrayed in ancient literature. Everyone knows her name, but not everyone digs into her story deeply enough to see what's underneath. I hope this has inspired you to find out more about Helen, or at least has renewed your admiration for her.  
> I will see you soon with the next one, hope you enjoyed! x


End file.
